Archive - Obituary

September 26th, 2011

September 26, 2011

Lee B. Shively, 87, of Churubusco, passed away at 4:33 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011 at Visiting Nurse and Hospice Home, Fort Wayne.
Born May 17, 1924 in Angola, he was the son of Chalmer S. and Velma M. (Geiger) Shively.
He is a lifetime resident of Churubusco, graduating from Churubusco High School with the Class of 1942.
He served in the United States Army during World War II.
On Sept. 17, 1944, he married Wiladene A. Garrison at Blue River Church of the Brethren.

September 22nd

September 22, 2011

KEYSTONE â€” William G. Smith, 76, of Keystone, Ind., passed away at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011 at Bluffton Regional Medical Center in Bluffton.
He was born Sept. 5, 1935, in Larwill, the son of the late Robert and Mary Eloise (Smith) Smith.
He graduated from Larwill High School with the class of 1953.
Mr. Smith married Linda Smith in 2000 at the Son Light Wesleyan Church in Bluffton.
He was a co-owner of Midwest Florist Supply in Fort Wayne, where he started as a teenager and was in the floral business throughout his life.

September 22, 2011

SOUTH WHITLEY â€” Dennis M. Spurling, 43, of rural South Whitley, died at 9:29 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011 as a result of injuries sustained in an accident on Sept. 9 in Kosciusko County.
He was born July 26, 1968 in Goshen, a son of Larry M. and Deborah M. (Grabner) Spurling.
He graduated from Columbia City Joint High School in 1987.
He was employed at Rinker Boat Company for eight years, Liberty Coach for a few years and currently Whitley Manufacturing.
He married Rebecca L. Stouder.
They made their home in Syracuse.

September 22, 2011

SOUTH WHITLEY â€” Larry L. Ruse, 71, of South Whitley, died Wednesday morning, Sept. 21, 2011 at his home. He had been battling cancer.
He was born Oct. 26, 1939 in Kosciusko County, a son of Alfonso â€śVonâ€ť and Cloris (Krider) Ruse.
His formative years were spent in South Whitley. He graduated from Sidney High School in 1957.
On June 15, 1957, he entered the U.S. Army. He was released from active duty and entered the army reserve on June 30, 1960. He was honorably discharged June 21, 1963.
On April 4, 1981 he was united in marriage to Sandra K. Lewis. They made their home in South Whitley.

September 21st

September 21, 2011

Norma L. Wooldridge, 83, a former resident of rural Churubusco and more recently of Fort Wayne, died Monday, Sept. 19, 2011 at 2:09 p.m. at Visiting Nurse & Hospice Home in Fort Wayne.
She was born July 31, 1928 in Belington, West Virginia, a daughter of Steven and Rita (Myers) England.
On Jan. 31, 1966, she married Elmer D. Wooldridge. He preceded her in death Sept. 11, 2004.

September 21, 2011

Jane Ellen Demske, 63, of Pierceton, passed away Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011 at 1 p.m. in her residence.
Jane was born Feb. 14, 1948, in Wolf Lake to James K. and Inez L. (Boggs) Waugh. She was a 1966 graduate of Columbia City Joint High School.
She married James Mark â€śJimâ€ť Demske Aug. 26 1967 in Pierceton.
Jane was a 27-year 4-H leader and a was in Golden April Home Ec Club.
She was employed by Uniroyal, worked in the Whitko/Pierceton school cafeteria for 10 years and was also a bus driver for both the Whitko and Whitley County Consolidated School corporations.

September 21, 2011

Gwendolyn Braden, 84, of Ft. Wayne, passed away Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011.
She was born Nov. 22, 1926 in Kosciusko County.
Gwen worked at Raytheon for more than 22 years, retiring in 1991.
She enjoyed planting flowers and visiting with friends at the American Legion.
She is survived by her son, Steven (Rita) Cornelius of Columbia City; sister, Marcella Travelbee of Columbia City; grandchildren, Nichole Firestine and Rudy Tamez, both of Fort Wayne, Robert Stanley of Dublin, Ohio and Matt (Sandra) Tamez of Butler; son-in-law, Lester Thomas; and two great-granddaughters.

September 21, 2011

Jerry Allen Geiger, 66, of Columbia City, passed away at 10:50 a.m. Monday, Sept. 19, 2011 at Parkview Whitley Hospital, Columbia City. Born June 17, 1945 in Columbia City, he was the son of Russell J. and Margaret E. (Hazen) Geiger.
A lifetime resident of Columbia City, he graduated from Columbia City Joint High School with the Class of 1963.
On June 18, 1966 he married Cheryl Doty in Columbia City where they established their home. In 2003, he retired from Navistar with 30 years of service. His memberships included Eagles Lodge #1906 and the UAW Local 57.

September 21, 2011

R. Ray Slaughter, 78, died Aug. 21, 2011 in Harlingen, Texas.
He is survived by his wife, Betty; daughters Sheri Sales, Sandra Roberg, both of Des Moines, Iowa and Connie Thunem, Littleton, Colo.; stepdaughters Sonia Ward, Angola and Jeannette Harris, Claypool; stepsons Randy Miles, Charleston, Mo. and James McKnight, Waterloo, Ind. and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Richards Restaurant banquet room at Times Corner in Fort Wayne.

September 19th

September 19, 2011

COLUMBIA CITY â€” Kaydence Jaymes Yahr, infant daughter of Karl J. and Andrea (Pfleghaar) Yahr of Fort Wayne, was stillborn at Parkview Hospital, Fort Wayne Friday, September 16, 2011.
She is survived by three sisters, Theresa E., Melissa A. and Samantha R. Yahr; her grandparents, Janice Yahr of Crawfordsville and Jim and Alice Pfleghaar of Jordan, Minn.
The funeral service will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday at St. John Lutheran Church, 2465 W Keiser Road, Columbia City with Rev. David Mommens officiating.